meet maskihkiy’s owiyasiwêwak stewardship bundle team: kitpu e'pit ~ Dr. Stephanie Tipple

maskihkiy wellness works from a circular and seasonal framework. rather than following a conventional hierarchy, we honour the skills, gifts and wisdom each person carries, working collaboratively to shape what we offer and share with community.

our interconnected circle of Elders, project-based supports and internal stewardship bundle carriers work together to guide maskihkiy and offer genocide-informed, reciprocal medicine through mental health supports, land-based wellness and training.

owiyasiwêwak is nêhiyawêwin (Cree) for those who lead and uphold our work.

over the next few moons, meet the owiyasiwêwak — our stewardship bundle team. 

kitpu e'pit ~ Dr. Stephanie Tipple Ph.D., CCC 

Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation ‍

Stephanie holds maskihkiy’s clinical quality and practice bundle.

what drew Stephanie to work with maskihkiy

‍Since I first began working with Karlee in 2019, I was immediately drawn to the land‑based, relational, and collective way of working that shaped every part of her practice. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of learning alongside Karlee and an incredible team of relatives as we deepened our learning and practice of Indigenous approaches to wellness, including Indigenous Focusing‑Oriented Therapy. 

So when maskihkiy wellness began, it felt natural—and deeply right—to continue this work in a good way. I’m grateful to be part of a team committed to traditional, relational, and land‑based wellness, and to supporting people in (re)connecting with their inherent medicines and wisdoms. I’ve worked within many systems and clinical organizations, but I continue to return to my family at maskihkiy wellness. This is the place where my heart feels most aligned, where the work reflects the values I hold, and where I feel most at home.

what drew Stephanie to become a psychologist

I was first drawn to psychology through a simple fascination with how the brain works. But as I moved deeper into this deeply Western, colonial field, my passion shifted and expanded. I became increasingly committed to decolonial psychology and Indigenous approaches to health and wellness, and I began to see how urgently these perspectives are needed. As I continued navigating the system—witnessing firsthand the harms caused by Western psy‑disciplines—I became even more determined to complete my doctorate and work from within the field to help bring about meaningful change. 

My motivation is no longer just curiosity—it’s grounded in justice, accountability, and the need for safe, ethical, culturally‑rooted services for all peoples. Today, what draws me to this work is the responsibility to serve communities in a good way, to challenge harmful structures, and to help create spaces where wellness is understood through relationship, land, culture, and collective strength.

one medicine gift Stephanie carries and shares with the world

As my spirit name suggests—Kitput E'pit/Eagle Woman—one of the medicines I carry is the gift of vision; the ability to see far, to see deeply, and to see beyond what is immediately in front of us. Eagle teaches us to rise above the noise of the world and look at the whole picture, to understand how past-present-future, land, ancestors, and spirit all weave together to inform and support us. My medicine is being able to hold that wide, high perspective while still coming down gently to sit with people where they are. I see the truth of someone’s wellness even when they cannot, and I help them (re)connect with that truth in a way that feels safe, grounded, and relational. Eagle flies closest to creation and the spirit world, and with that comes the medicine of connection—the ability to hold people’s stories with reverence, to honour their ancestors, and to help them (re)member the medicines they already carry. Eagle’s wisdom guides me to name what needs to be named, to witness what others may overlook, and to help people rise into their own strength, clarity, and vision.

A hobby/interest that feeds Stephanie

While I’m someone whose hobbies shift and evolve quite frequently, my deepest and most enduring commitment has been to plant medicines. Over the years, as I’ve travelled and lived across Turtle Island—from Alberta to Ontario and now Newfoundland—my relationships with these plant relatives have continued to grow and deepen. In my free time, I love growing, harvesting, and making wellness items with medicines like sweetgrass, Labrador tea, goldenrod, burdock root, and so many others. Mother Earth is a natural healer, and there are countless ways her gifts can support our wellbeing when we approach them with respect and reciprocity. You’ll often find me in the kitchen or out on the land, making jams and jellies, lip balms, salves, and even smudge sprays to share with family and friends. These practices keep me connected to the land, to culture, and to the medicines that have cared for our peoples since time immemorial. You can also find me cuddling with my kitties, Theo and Junipurr, of course! 

Learn more about Stephanie and some of the ways she works with maskihkiy here‍